Sixth-generation farmer Vince Heffernan may be in the sheep-rearing business, but he believes the key to great meat is great soil.

The soil-up approach has helped Moorlands Biodynamic Lamb win the From the Paddock category in the 2024 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards.

“It’s fantastic, I’ve been involved in this competition for many years and previously had accolades for gold medal at the national level, but to win the trophy is something above and beyond that,” he says.

Heffernan believes the win isn’t just down to one thing, it’s a mix of the farm’s pillars of genetics, low stress, diet and environment.

“We’ve seen improvement in our meat over time. It’s not a silver bullet or one fact, it’s those 50 one per centers that make the difference,” he says.

“We start with genetics. Texel lambs are an old breed known for their fine, silky textured meat.

It’s quite lean but it does have this fine marbling throughout, and the fat has a rich, nutty flavour. One chef described it as cashew-like.”

As well as producing very sweet meat, Texel sheep have a relaxed temperament.

“When I talk to other sheep farmers, they roll their eyes, but Texel sheep don’t get stressed easily and it makes a big difference in how the meat tastes,” Heffernan says.

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“An anxious animal doesn’t taste as good, which is why I personally take my animals to the abattoir. It’s important that that process is not a stressful one.”

What the sheep eat reflects Heffernan’s farm, which is organic, biodynamic and follows regenerative agriculture practices.

As part Heffernan’s approach of repairing the land, over the last 25 years the farm has planted native trees and shrubs that were on the land before white settlement. This includes 24 species of wattle indigenous to the area, tens of thousands of them. And they had an unexpected benefit.

“The sheep graze on the leaves of these wattle trees and at certain times of the year, they eat the seeds which are even more densely rich in protein. Wattle seeds have an excess of 30 per cent protein per cent, whereas barley is only nine per cent,” Heffernan says.

“There is a direct link between access to wattle and sheep health. We didn’t set out to provide wattle for sheep, it was for the landscape and to reestablish native species but there’s no doubt that part of the diet adds a complexity to the flavour profile of our meat.

“It’s a significant part of what makes our lamb different and better.

“It’s odd that the more you try and do right, the better things get. You can repair the environment, look after the soil and broader eco system and still produce an exceptional product.”

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